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Sustainers deliver new desks to school in Muthanna

By Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Jo BridgwaterNovember 6, 2008

Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Austin, (left) support operations, 7th Sustainment Brigade, and Pfc. Vai Spalding, (right) chaplain's assistant, 7th Sustainment Brigade
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Austin, (left) support operations, 7th Sustainment Brigade, and Pfc. Vai Spalding, (right) chaplain's assistant, 7th Sustainment Brigade, put a desk in place at the Al-Fadhliya secondary school in Muthanna, Nov. 4th. More than... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Command Sgt. Major Lesly McCorkle, brigade command sergeant major, 7th Sustainment Brigade
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Major Lesly McCorkle, brigade command sergeant major, 7th Sustainment Brigade, hands out school bags packed with much needed school supplies to a student at the Al-Fadhliya secondary school in Muthanna, Iraq, Nov. 4, during an Engineer C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A group of students from the Al-Fadhliya Secondary School
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A group of students from the Al-Fadhliya Secondary School, smile as they sit at their new desks with their book-bags chock full of school supplies, 533 school bags with essential supplies were donated to the students as part of an Engineer Civic Acti... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

MUTHANNA, Iraq - Sustainers from the 7th Sustainment Brigade delivered over a hundred refurbished school desks to the newly built Al-Fadhliya secondary school Tuesday, as hundreds of Iraqi junior-high aged girls waited patiently outside.

The Ft. Eustis-based brigade delivered 120 newly refurbished desks, school supplies packed inside 533 colorful book-bags, and 30 education kits for school instructors.

"The Muthanna PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) had met with Hamadi Mousa Abid Al Obaidy, Muthanna director of education, and found out that there was a warehouse full of metal desk frames in poor condition," explained Maj. Robert Hudson, Civil Military Operations, 7th Sust. Bde. "We got a sample desk kit, and Chaplain Damon Saxton, 7th Sust. Bde. and a group of volunteer Soldiers with a background in carpentry figured out how best to utilize the wood needed to fix the desks and made a plan for their rebuilding. From there it all fell into place."

"We are very pleased to be here today," said Adel Fadela, deputy team leader Muthanna PRT, as he addressed the crowd of students, teachers and guests. "Today's PRT project symbolizes the commitment to the development of education. Cooperation with the U.S. military and the U.S. State Department is what made this possible."

Hudson couldn't agree more. "The mission was a tremendous success," he said. "We brought together Soldiers and Airmen from around the COB (contingency operating base) and worked on these desks and delivered them along with the book-bags and teaching kits, a gift from the heart of America. The country of Iraq is providing a better educational environment for these children with the government of Iraq funding and building this new school and Americans donating the supplies."

"The Engineer Civic Action Program, or ENCAP, was the idea of a former PRT leader, Paul O'Friel," said Hudson. "One night over dinner a group of us were discussing ways on how the brigade chaplains could help out in CMO projects as well as get the brigade's Soldiers involved to help the people of Iraq and show them good will."

"Muthanna is a shining example of stability in Iraq," said Fadela. "Today we are celebrating the promotion of education."

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